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Booker T. Mattison said since becoming a professor, he uses current and former students every time he produces a film. "Each time I make a film, every document and every step of the production process becomes teaching material. (Photo: Dorothy Kozlowski)

Focus on Faculty: Booker T. Mattison

The following is an excerpt of a Q&A originally posted at news.uga.edu.

Booker T. Mattison, an assistant professor at Grady College, is an author, filmmaker and educator who prepares students for careers in the state’s booming film and television industry.

Where did you earn degrees and what are your current responsibilities at UGA?

I earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communications from Norfolk State University and a Master of Fine Arts in film and television production from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Since I joined the department of entertainment and media studies, which is in the midst of a spectacular growth spurt, I have been actively involved in the development of our M.F.A. in film, television and digital media, an overhaul of the undergraduate entertainment and media studies curriculum, and serving on the search committees for two new faculty members who will join our team in the fall of 2019.

What are your favorite courses and why?

My favorite course is “Advanced Production” because I am able to midwife compelling and diverse narrative short films from our supremely talented entertainment and media studies students. Since this is a capstone course, I have the opportunity to work with content creators who are about to graduate and make their mark in the world.

What are some highlights of your career at UGA?

I premiered my latest short film, “Bosniak,” here on campus last November. It was a great experience because I collaborated with four UGA professors and a UGA staff member to make the film. Professor James Biddle (Grady) was the lead editor; Emily Koh (Hugh Hodgson School of Music) composed the score; professor Hatidža Mulić (Lamar Dodd School of Art) translated the script into Bosnian and created original paintings for the film; Walker Swain (College of Education) created original hip-hop music for the film; and Stephen Bridges (Office of Online Learning) was also an editor. Having the first public screening at UGA in front of cast, crew, current and former students, and colleagues was one of the more unique screening experiences of my career.